


D.O.C.

by Eclaireur



Category: Combat! (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-04
Updated: 2015-10-04
Packaged: 2018-04-24 16:22:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,195
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4926655
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eclaireur/pseuds/Eclaireur
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This was written for Conlan Carter's birthday. Mr. Carter played the role of "Doc" in the series Combat! for 4 out of the 5 years the show was on. <br/>In this story, Kirby want's to know why, on Doc's birthday, did he receive mail from his hometown addressed  simply <br/>"To D.O.C."</p>
            </blockquote>





	D.O.C.

D.O.C.

by

Éclaireur

 

a.k.a.

Donna

 

 

 

''Yep, that's my name.

Funny thing is no one here has ever asked me my name. Well I think that is about to change."

 

October 3, 1944

 

"Hey Doc, I got a whole lot of mail for you this morning. What give's?"

 Kirby had just arrived with the mail truck. Seemed he was being "delivered" also, after having to spend a few days at the aid station. He figured, might as well hitch a ride back as long as it was going his way. So Kirby was the first to see all the mail waiting for his squad mate addressed solely to D.O.C.

As Kirby waited for Doc's reply, he glanced down at all the mail. He thought to himself, how strange it seemed, that all the mail was simple addressed "To D.O.C."

 But hey, Doc's from Arkansas so what did he expect?

"Here's your mail Doc. Why so many addressed to you today?"

Doc, ignoring Kirby, looked into the bag at all the letters.

"Well lookie here, I think I must be getting cards from my whole family. Imagine that, would ya"

With a sly smile on his face, Doc started to open his mail and began to read out loud,

"Let's see, this first one's from my ma"

He paused and looked at Kirby, then continued.

 

"It reads,

Happy Birthday Son.

I wish ya was home. Your cousin Edna and that man she married are finally splittin up. Thank our good Lord up above for that. Now I know we ain't the type of family to call it quit's on anyone but, that low life son of a gun was really never part of this family. So good riddens to bad rubbish, is what I always say. Well there's nothing much else to say except, my boy, Me and ya pa are so dang proud of ya and I know your grandma Jean in heaven is looking down, smiling at her one and only favorite grand-son on this, his day.

Happy Birthday my Boy!

Love ya Doc,

Ma…

 

As Doc put placed his mother's card down the card, Kirby reached for it. Picking it up, he scratched his head in the way one does when one's a bit confused, then asked,

"Your own mother calls you Doc? That's a bit odd isn't it?"

Doc, pretending not to hear Kirby,  went on to the next card. That sly smile never leaving his face. He started to read,

 

"This one's from my Uncle Ned,"

"Hey there Doc, how's my favorite nephew doin? Can't wait till your back home so's we can go fishin. It's been real quite since you've been gone. Not really a whole lot to report. Oh, your cousin Edna finally got wise and left that no good ground snake she went and hitched up with a while back. I always thought Edna was a smart girl. I guess even the smartest sometimes makes a mistake or two, right my boy?

Well, you stay safe over there and try and have a good Birthday.

Hope you're home soon Doc.

Take care.

Uncle Ned.

 

"What, is ol' Uncle Ned your mom's brother? Is this a family nick name or something?"

Kirby was getting pretty annoyed over the fact that Doc would not answer his questions.

"Nope, Uncle Ned is my pa's younger brother. Truth be told, we're more like brothers than Uncle and nephew. He's just a couple of years older than me."

Again Doc skirted around the question concerning his name. 'ok' Kirby thought, something was up here and Kirby decided he was not leaving Doc's side till he got to the bottom of it!

After going through card after card, with Doc reading each and every one of them out loud, Kirby noticed, the bottom of the bag was finally in sight. Kirby reached into the bag and handed Doc the next to the last card.

 

"Hey, this is a surprise. A card from my Grandpa Orville. He's really up there in age. I think he'll be turn'n 89 comin this here January. I sure do miss him. He's one of the best dang story tellers in our parts. I could listen to that man for hours. Only problem being, he never learned how to read nor write. All them stories are plum stuck in his head. When I get back, I'm think-in of sittin' down with him and asking if he wouldn't mind telling me his stories whiles't I write them all down.  That way our whole family will be able to enjoy them.  That would be something, huh?"

 

Kirby, by this time,was totally caught up in Doc's enthusiasm over his many cards and notes, "Hey?" Kirby asked. "If your Grandpa Orville can't read or write, what's in his card...pictures or something?

Doc picked up Grandpa's card and opened it,

"Well, what my ma usually does is read a few bible verses to him, then he picks one out and ma snips it from this one ol' bible that he keeps just for that purpose."

 

Doc, finding the little snip of Bible paper, pulled it out and started to read,

**"Psalms 127:3-5** _Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate."_

Kirby's puzzled look was no surprise

,

"Well what do you suppose your old Grand dad meant by that verse?"

"Well it seems that he also had ma write this little note to go with it",

Doc continued,

"Doc, did ya know your cousin Edna is a free woman again. She sure is a looker and she can cook like no one else in the family. Maybe you should drop her a line and see how she's a doin?"

 

Then his mother added,

"Just ya pay no mind to your grand pa. Ya don't need to be think-in along those lines when you're over there fightin that there war!"

 

"Your Grandpa also wants' me to tell ya,"

"Love ya grand son"  "and Doc... please come home to your family real soon."   "X"

 

Doc shook his head at the last part while he wiped a tear away from his eye.

Kirby looked away so Doc wouldn't see that he noticed him crying. He reached into the bag for the last card.

"Here Doc, looks like this is the end of em."

 

"Oh good heavens."

Was all Doc could say.

"It's from my Cousin Edna. Why am I not surprised?"

Kirby, with a big ''I Bet I Know What She Wants'' grin on his face, couldn't help but ask,

"So what do ya suppose ol' cousin Edna has to say?"

Kirby's smile, if it was possible, seemed to get even bigger with that question.

 

Doc opened up the last letter and began to read,

"Howdy Cousin Doc, how has ya been? I've been thinkin a whole lot abouts ya lately. I sure do hope you're a stayin safe over there in that there France place.

Oh did ya hear Jethro and I broke up? Yeah, he was just too much of a mama's boy for me. Ya know it's good to be concerned about your ma an all, but he kind of carried it a bit too far when he said we needed to move into her house and I needed to take care of all her needs.

"No"

I told him. I don't think that's what it meant when we told each other to "Love honor and obey" when we got hitched. No way am I going to live with that mean old witch of a mother of his. And I surly would never dream of obeying a thing she told me to do. So I up and left him.

Cousin Doc, maybe you would like to come over to my place when you get's out of the Army? I could cook you some of my chicken and dumplings and you could tell me all about France.

Well I do remember what today is and that is the reason for this here letter,

To wish you a Happy Birthday and hope's you can make it home real soon.

I love's ya Doc.

Stay safe

Edna."

 

Kirby couldn't help but laugh and Doc couldn't help but sigh. He turned to Kirby and asked,

 

"Ya don't think I could just up and re-enlist when all this is over do ya?"

Kirby slaped him on the back and while still laughing said,

"Why on earth would you want to do that Doc.? Ol' Cousin Edna sounds like quite a catch if you ask me. She's a looker, a cooker and I'm guessin', maybe just a bit of a hooker…Sounds like a perfect match."

 

"Oh shut up Kirby, will ya"

 Doc could think of nothing else to say.

 

"OK Doc, I'll forget all about your "kissing cousin" if ya do one thing for me."

Doc looked at his black mailing friend. Whatever it was Kirby was about to say, Doc knew, he was not going to like.

"OK anything, just forget you ever heard of Cousin Edna and I'll do anything you ask."

Oh, Kirby thought, this is going to be too easy.

 

"OK...D.O.C."

"Edna is forgotten."

Kirby paused for the effect. He really was enjoying this.  Doc began to sweat.

Kirby was finally going to get an answer to the question that had been bothering him since Doc started reading all his Birthday cards from his large family.

 

"Tell me why your entire family calls you 'Doc'?"

Doc looked up at Kirby, then shook his head. A large smile spread across Doc's face.

"You really want to know?"

"Yep"

Kirby answered back.

"I Really Want To Know!"

 

"Well it's a bit of a long story. But I will cut it way down for you. Is that OK?"

Kirby looked him in the eyes

"Sure Doc, that's ok. Just don't leave out any of the good parts. You sure wouldn't want ol' Caje or maybe even the Sarge to find out about your ol' "kissin cousin" now would ya?"

 

Doc again shook his head at his good, but sneaky friend,

"No, we defiantly don't want that."

Was all he said.

"So here it is. My mother's father, Duane, died when my mother was still quite young. It was something minor that he died from. I can't remember what my ma said it was, but it was something that only a few years after her pa's death, they found a cure for. She still ferrets over that. Anyway, when she was expecting me, she wanted to honor her pa by giving me his name. Well that's all well and good except my pa had it in his head that he wanted to honor his father also. Are you with me so far Kirby?"

Kirby nodded he's head 'yes' so Doc continued,

 

"Well I already told you, my other Grand dad's name is Orville. So together my first and middle names are Duane Orville, right. So now come's the kicker. My last name is…

"Collier"

Doc smiled, as he watched Kirby mentally putting the three names together.  Kirby, looked up and smiled at Doc.

 

Doc laughed, shook his head "yes", then continued.

 

"Yep, that's my name. "Duane Orville Collier". I think my mother did it on purpose. I was predestined on becoming something in the medical field. Ma saw to that. Growing up in Arkansas wasn't easy, but growing up with the nick-name D.O.C. at a very young age, made it doubly hard. But ya know, I think my ma did me a favor of sorts. Not everyone at the age of five could truthfully say and mean it, "When I grow up, I'm aim'en on being a Doc."

 

With the truth finally out, Kirby laughed.

"So when all of us call ya Doc, that IS your name. So you never thought ya needed to correct us?

 Wow! That's a good one Doc.

But let me think about this for awhile."

Doc turned and looked at Kirby.

"What do you mean by that Kirby?"

"Well,"

Kirby continued,

"I just don't know if that story is good enough for me to keep quite about your Cousin Edna"

"Now come on Kirby, we had a deal. I tell you my name and you keep quite about my cousin. We Had A DEAL."

"I don't remember saying "deal" and I sure don't remember shaking your hand so…."

 Kirby turned to leave. Walking away, Kirby looked back and realized Doc was following him.  Kirby smiled, then started to run. Shouting out for all to hear,

 

"Hey guys, did ya know Doc has a cousin named Edna?"

 

"Damn-it Kirby" (oh my...Doc used a swear word.) 

"SHUT UP!"

 

The End

Happy Birthday "Doc"

This is my Birthday "Gift" to our one true Doc...Conlan Carter.

With this  "Gift" I am also sending my Love.

 

Donna


End file.
